Pan chiller system having liquid coolant in direct contact with dividing walls

A pan chiller system for a pan chiller unit for circulating a chilled liquid coolant, the system being configured such that the coolant remains a liquid during operation of the system, the pan chiller unit having an outer housing, a food well received within the outer housing and an insulating material therebetween, including:

• a plurality of hollow divider bars configured for directly receiving the chilled liquid coolant and arranged generally parallel to each other within the food well and an opening is defined between adjacent divider bars, wherein each of said divider bars includes a fin vertically extending from a top portion of said divider bars and extending along a longitudinal axis of said divider bars parallel to the longitudinal axis of said divider bars and creating shoulders on both opposite sides of said fin along the longitudinal axis;
• and
• wherein said fin extends generally vertically toward a top periphery of said food well, and is centrally located on said top portion, and said fin is solid from a top portion of said fin to a bottom portion of said fin, the bottom portion transitioning into said shoulders dimensioned for accommodating lips of food pans, and wherein each divider bar of said plurality of hollow divider bars includes an internal rib segmenting said each divider bar into an upper channel vertically displaced from a lower channel, said upper and lower channels are longitudinally encircled and defined by opposite inner walls of said each divider bar and said internal rib along a flow path of said coolant, wherein said internal rib is integrally attached to said opposite inner walls;
• and wherein an edge of each said internal rib includes a cutout constructed and arranged at an end of said divider bar for receiving said coolant and for enabling flow of said coolant between said upper and lower channels, said cutout encircled and defined by said opposite inner walls.

A pan chiller system for a pan chiller unit having an outer housing, a food well received within the outer housing and an insulating material therebetween, including:

• a plurality of hollow divider bars arranged generally parallel to each other within the food well and an opening is defined between adjacent divider bars, wherein each divider bar of said plurality of hollow divider bars includes an internal rib dividing said each divider bar of said plurality of hollow divider bars into an upper channel vertically displaced from a lower channel, said each divider bar configured for directly receiving a coolant, are longitudinally encircled and defined by opposite inner walls of said each divider bar of said plurality of hollow divider bars and said internal rib along a flow path of said coolant, wherein said internal rib is integrally attached to said opposite inner walls, and an edge of each said internal rib has a cutout encircled and defined by said opposite inner walls for enabling flow of said coolant between said upper and lower channels and an outer perimeter of each of said divider bars includes an axially extending stepped groove for accommodating food pans while keeping the walls of said divider bar as close to walls of the food pans as possible for efficient energy transfer, and an upper surface of said divider bar is dimensioned for accommodating lips of the food pans on a top edge of said divider bar, and directly receives and supports the lips of the food pans, said divider bars having a narrower width at an upper end relative to a wider lower end, the base of said wider lower end wider than said axially stepped groove, and a fin vertically extending from a top portion of said divider bars and extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of said divider bars, wherein said coolant flows directly into said lower channel and exits through said upper channel;
• and
• said divider bar walls enclosing said upper and lower channels, having a first surface being in direct contact with the coolant, and an outer shell opposite said first surface, being configured for directly supporting a food pan, and said divider bar walls, in each said divider bar, being continuously connected and integrally formed for defining inner hollow cavities of said upper and lower channels.